Isn't It Ironic
by TartanLioness
Summary: This story was inspired by the lines ‘Life has a funny way of sneaking up on you when you think everything’s okay and everything’s going right. Life has a funny way of helping you out when you think everything’s gone wrong and everything blows up in your
1. Chapter 1

Title: Isn't It Ironic

Author: TartanLioness

Summary: This story was inspired by the lines 'Life has a funny way of sneaking up on you when you think everything's okay and everything's going right. Life has a funny way of helping you out when you think everything's gone wrong and everything blows up in your face' from Alanis Morissette's song Ironic.

Rating: 13+

With a deep sigh of exhaustion, Albus Dumbledore made his way from his personal library to his living room. He stopped abruptly when he saw his Deputy's sleeping form on his couch. With a small smile he went to her side and shook her gently.

"Minerva. Minerva, wake up."

Her eyes opened slightly and she looked at him groggily.

"Albus? What time is it?"

"A little past midnight. Minerva, what are you doing here?"

"MIDNIGHT! Albus, I've been here since dinner ended! Have you been in your library all this time!"

"Yes, I have and I believe I've found another… I believe I'm getting closer to…" Albus didn't say any more and Minerva gave a frustrated sigh.

"For goodness' sake, Albus, I'm your best friend, your second, your confidante. You know you can trust me and yet you won't tell me what you're working so hard on."

"I am sorry, Minerva," he said, with an apologetic smile. "I'm just trying to protect you. I will be gone tomorrow evening for just a few hours. And I will take Harry with me."

"Harry! But Albus, he's just a lad!"

"I think it is time, Minerva."

"Can't I go with you, too? I… I would feel better if… " she tried.

"No, Minerva, you can't come with us," Albus interrupted. "I need you to patrol the corridors while I'm gone. Hogwarts needs you, Minerva, and… and I couldn't bear it if you were hurt because of me."

"And I, Albus, cannot bear the thought that you could get hurt and I wasn't there to help you!"

"Please, Minerva, don't make me give you an order."

"Please, Albus, don't give me an order I won't obey!"

Two clever minds, two stubborn hearts, two pairs of eyes, locked together in a silent battle. Finally Minerva broke the gaze with a sigh.

"Be careful," she said quietly.

"Min, dear, I'm sorry but I don't want you to get hurt."

"I know. I just… Albus, how would you feel if I told you to stay at home and you didn't know where I was going?"

"I… I know, Min, but please, I can't put you in danger! I…"

"I am your best friend, Albus. You know I can take care of myself. I am your best friend," said Minerva, her voice containing the same hurt that shone in her eyes.

"Yes, my best friend but also the one person I've ever truly loved!" His eyes filled with shock and regret for what he had just revealed. Minerva's face expressed shock as well but no regret. A smile spread on her face. Albus began to smile as well, hesitantly.

Minerva gathered Albus' hands in hers and kissed them before stepping closer to him. His arms went around her waist and he held her close to him.

"Be careful," she whispered and kissed him on the lips. "Make sure you come back to me."

"I shall do my very best, my love."

They parted a while later and all the way back to her chambers, Minerva just couldn't get their kiss out of her mind. She couldn't quite believe it had actually happened, after all these years. It hadn't been awkward, nor incredibly passionate. But inside, she felt warm and happy and she was certain they would make it through it all.

When she heard the usual knock on her door the next morning, she quickly opened to let Albus in.

"Good morning, my darling," he said. Without a word, Minerva pulled him to her and kissed him.

"Good morning," she then said.

"I take it; you do not regret what happened between us yesterday?" Albus looked rather nervous as he asked this.

"No, dearest," Minerva replied honestly. "Never. I love you, Albus. I have for many years."

Albus smiled and caressed her cheek before kissing her.

"And I love you, Tabby."

Minerva McGonagall made her way to the Hospital Wing with a worried expression. She couldn't grasp how the Death Eaters had entered the castle but there were more important matters at hand.

"Albus, where are you!" she muttered to herself, both worried and annoyed. The grazes on her face were stinging and her hair was coming out of its bun.

"Molly and Arthur are on their way," she said as she entered the Hospital Wing. She glanced briefly at her long-time friend Poppy Pomfrey, whose cheeks were pink with tears. Then she turned to Harry.

"Harry, what happened? According to Hagrid you were with Professor Dumbledore when he – when it happened. He says Professor Snape was involved in some –" She was interrupted by Harry.

"Snape killed Dumbledore." It was said so matter-of-factly and yet, Minerva could see the pain in his eyes. Then the words registered in her mind. Dead. Albus was dead.

She swayed alarmingly and was extremely thankful when Poppy pushed a chair under her. She could feel herself shaking and she said weakly as she let herself fall into the chair, "Snape…We all wondered… but he trusted… always… _Snape_… I can't believe it…"

She could feel the tears in her eyes and for once she didn't care. She pulled out her tartan-edged handkerchief and dabbed her eyes. _'Albus gave this handkerchief to me. Oh Merlin… Albus…'_

She discussed the matter of Snape with the rest of them, hardly knowing what she was saying. Her mind felt numb and she felt completely empty inside._ 'How could I be so stupid! Why did I send Filius to fetch Snape? Maybe, if I hadn't alerted him, he wouldn't have known! It's all my fault!'_ she thought. When she repeated her thoughts out loud though she was firmly contradicted by Remus Lupin.

The discussion continued but Minerva drew into herself, speaking every once in a while but never really participating.

It was late when Minerva left Albus' old office. Her ripped robes, the grazes on her face and her messy hair was all but forgotten, all she could think about was that Albus would no longer come back. Just when she had found happiness, it was ripped away from her. Just when she knew she had his love, he had been taken away from her.

She reached Albus' chambers in a daze-like state. She felt like she was surrounded by a fog of uncertainty, insecurity and helplessness. Throwing herself on Albus' bed, she finally let go of all her emotions, sobbing into the pillow, pounding it with clenched fists. Drained of her anger, she fell asleep fully clothed, crying into the pillow that smelled so wonderfully of the man she had loved for fifty years.

TBC...

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!


	2. Chapter 2

_Thanks for all the great reviews! They're all greatly appreciated! Here's the next Chapter!_

Minerva sat down in the front row. So many people had shown up but she knew perfectly well that many of them were just there to make an appearance, not because they had known Albus Dumbledore personally. Her eyes narrowed as she spotted Dolores Jane Umbridge. _'How dare she? How _dare_ she! After everything that happened last year, how…'_ Minerva had never felt hatred as she did now. _'Albus wouldn't have wanted this. He would have wanted a small service with those he loved. Just those close to him. But how small could such a funeral be with the whole school present?'_ She couldn't help but smile a little. _'What are all these people doing here? How many of these people are here because they're actually sad that Albus is… gone,' _she thought, just as Rufus Scrimgeour sat down next to her.

"Terrible loss," he told her, looking straight ahead. Minerva turned to him angrily.

"Shut up, Minister," she replied coldly. He turned to her with a shocked expression.

"Excuse me!"

"Do you really need me to repeat myself?" Minerva asked with contempt. "I told you to shut up. 'Terrible loss' you say. You have no idea what you're talking about. Tell me, who was Albus Dumbledore?"

"He… He was the greatest wizard of our time. The defeater of the dark wizard Grindelwald. The only one You Know Who ever feared."

"Exactly what I thought. All that, all those titles, Grand Sorcerer, Supreme Mugwump, Chief Warlock, they never meant anything to him. He never wanted to be famous. He just wanted his students and the staff of Hogwarts to be safe and happy. He wanted to love and be loved and he wanted to lead a normal life. All of you _important_ people, you think that all there is – was – to Albus Dumbledore was _Professor_ Dumbledore. How many of you actually _knew_ Albus? Not Dumbledore, not the great wizard but _Albus_, the man behind the wizard. How many, I ask you, Minister?"

"I… well…" He was interrupted by the sound of singing. Scrimgeour looked around, alarmed but Minerva remained still, sitting straight-backed and proudly in her seat. She knew exactly who were singing, she knew how well-liked Albus had been by the Merpeople. She knew that they at least were saddened by the Headmaster's passing.

Minerva didn't know what it was that made her turn her head but as soon as she did, she saw Hagrid walking up the aisle, carrying what she knew must be Albus' body. _'Wrapped in sparkling purple and carried by Rubeus Hagrid. Now there's something he would have loved.'_

As Hagrid placed Albus' velvet-clad body on the marble table, Minerva could distinctly feel the tears she had fought so hard sting in her eyes. Biting her lip, she forced herself not to let them fall, not to let anyone see her weakness. _'This is derisory! Why can't I just break down and cry? Because your students are here and so is that… that… that _woman_! But surely they would understand…They never knew, Minerva. They never knew that you had just found love, or that you've been in love with this man for the greater part of your life. Oh, give it up and focus for Merlin's sake!'_

When Minerva focused on the funeral again, a small wizard in black robes was standing in front of Albus' body. Minerva couldn't believe her ears when she heard what this tufty-haired little man had to say about Albus Dumbledore. Who was this man and why had he been allowed to speak at this funeral? He knew nothing of Albus, as he had really been. He knew nothing of the caring and slightly eccentric demeanour that was Albus Dumbledore. He knew nothing of the sweet-loving barmy old codger that she herself had played chess with so many times in the past decades. As she had just told Scrimgeour, 'nobility of spirit', 'intellectual contribution' and 'greatness of heart' were perhaps true words but they did not describe Albus Dumbledore as a whole, as a man. A small smile appeared on her face as she remembered. Remembered the years she had shared with the man now lying limp on the marble table. Remembered chess games and debates, remembered how they'd agree to disagree, remembered working together in comfortable silence or walking outside on the grounds. But clearest in her mind were images of how he had made her open up. How they had been snow fighting or how he had chased her around in is living room only to pin her to the ground and tickle her mercilessly. He had brought out the happy and childish Minerva McGonagall, whom she had buried underneath her stern façade. And who could forget the most incoherent speech he had ever made? _'Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!'_ she thought with a thin smile. That smile vanished, however, at the bright, white flames that erupted around the body. A white marble tomb appeared when the flames vanished, encasing the table and Albus' body. As a shower of arrows from the centaurs soared through the air, a lone tear escaped Minerva's pride and slid down her cheek. No one noticed it and for that Minerva was thankful. She couldn't bear the thought of having to face questions about her lack of self control after the service.

The service was over and people were leaving. Minerva knew that Poppy Pomfrey would be keeping an eye on her but she couldn't care less. Even as everybody else had left, she was still in her seat. Finally she rose and walked to the white marble tomb. She stroked the stone with her fingertips in a soft caress.

"Minerva, come. You can do nothing now," sounded Poppy's voice from behind her.

"I know, Poppy." Minerva wondered momentarily how her voice could sound so calm when inside she was yearning to break down and cry and shout and scream. "Please, I just need… just a few minutes alone with him, okay?" She felt a hand on her arm, a comforting gesture from a long-time friend.

"Of course, Minerva," said Poppy before leaving the new Headmistress alone with her thoughts.

"Albus," Minerva whispered to the marble. "Merlin, Albus, how do you expect me to run this school? I am not you; I am not even your equal! Albus, I can't do this alone!" Finally she sunk to her knees and let her tears flow freely down her cheeks.

When she finally walked through the corridors of Hogwarts, all signs of her tears were gone, dried and then washed away by sea water. But in her eyes her sorrow showed, she knew.

"Minerva!" a voice sounded and she was shaken back to reality.

"Hello, Sibyll," said Minerva wearily. She really had no desire to talk to the Divination teacher right now.

"Oh, Minerva, can you believe it? Dumbledore, gone!" Sibyll exclaimed. Then she lowered her voice. "Of course, I knew already. Saw it in a vision! It came to me in a dream! Suddenly and unexpected, it –"

"You knew, did you!" Minerva interrupted with cold fury. "If you knew, you miserable old fraud, then why didn't you warn him! Why! You know why? Because you _didn't_ know! Stop trying to be what you're not, Sibyll Trelawney," Minerva ended, her voice barely audible. Then she passed her colleague without another word and disappeared through a secret doorway.

_TBC... _


	3. Chapter 3

Time passed. Days. Weeks. Months. She was made Headmistress of Hogwarts after fighting with all she had, to keep the school open.

One evening in late May, she was sitting in her office doing paperwork. An owl flew through the window and she looked up, her eyes roaming over the room that was just like Albus had left it a year earlier. Looking at the owl, she recognized it immediately. Her eyes widened as she hastened to take the letter from it.

_Dear Professor McGonagall,_

_You told me a year ago to call upon you and the Order when it was time._

_I think that the time has come. _

_I will give you more information when we meet, I cannot say any more in this letter._

_Sincerely,_

_Harry Potter_

Minerva stared at the letter for a full minute. It was time. Time for Voldemort's defeat? An Order meeting was scheduled for the next afternoon and that was what she wrote back to Harry.

When they met again, Minerva was astounded. He had grown and he was clearly no longer a boy but a man ready to do what he had been destined to do.

Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger were followed by Minerva McGonagall and select Order members when they sought out the Graveyard where Harry had first seen Voldemort come back to life. Spies had told the Order that a Death Eater meeting had been arranged tonight.

The battle seemed short to Minerva. She saw Nymphadora Tonks in a heated battle against Bellatrix Lestrange, the woman who had killed her cousin. She saw Mad-Eye Moody fighting another Death Eater. She saw Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, fall to the ground to avoid a spell cast by Lord Voldemort himself. And all along she was fighting as well.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Minerva heard the words roared over the ear-splitting noise of the battle. Among the graves, fighting stopped; Death Eaters and members of the Order of the Phoenix all turned towards Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort as they both fell to the ground.

All was quiet as the dust settled, the fighting stopped. Then a figure stood and swept his messy black hair back. His face became clear and Minerva could see the scratches, the cuts, the bruises and the relief. She didn't know who started it but soon the graveyard was filled with a deafening roar, coming from the Order of the Phoenix. Death Eaters were bound, their wands were taken away from them and Anti-Apparition Spells were put on them.

Minerva surveyed the scene before her. She saw wounds, bruises on both friends and enemies, she saw exhaustion and relief, she saw… Her eyes rested on a man. A man whom she knew should be tied down. A man, who, in her opinion, deserved nothing less than the Dementor's Kiss. Rage filled her and she began to shake. Automatically she began to stride towards him, her hand clutching her wand.

"Minerva, no!" She felt her arms be pulled around her back.

"Let me go, Alastor!"

"I can't do that!"

"I'll kill him! Let me go!" She was infuriated by Alastor and finally she managed to pull away. She didn't see him try to get a hold of her again as she ran towards the man, shouting, "TRAITOR!"

Severus Snape finally seemed to notice her and his eyes widened as he saw the raging woman charging at him, her wand pulled.

"AVADA KEDAV –" Minerva felt someone grab her wrist and her wand pointed straight upwards as she spoke the last syllable of the curse. Snape looked at her with a mixture of shock and pity.

_TBC..._


	4. Chapter 4

In rage and sorrow, Minerva pulled her arms free of the grasp and began pounding on the chest of the man who had forced her curse off course. Her eyes filled with angry tears as she pounded and pounded, sobbing, "Let me kill the bloody traitor… kill… traitor… he killed… Albus… my beloved Albus." The arms merely pulled her to his chest, holding her tight to him.

She seemed to gather strength again and she pulled away with defiant eyes. "Let me give him what he deser…" She stopped abruptly, eyes wide, face pale. She began shaking her head slowly in disbelief.

"You're dead," she said matter-of-factly. "Dead. _He_ killed you!" She pointed to Snape. "YOU'RE DEAD!"

"No, Minerva, my darling, I am not dead," Albus responded with pain in his voice. He then felt a stinging pain and everything went black for a second. His hand went to his cheek, now red from her slap.

"Minerva," he began, knowing fully well how hurt and confused she must be but feeling the need to explain. He was, however, interrupted.

"You BASTARD!" Minerva screamed in his face. Then she lowered her voice to a whisper. "You left us all to think you were dead! How could you! Don't you understand that we need you! I've been trying to run Hogwarts, the Order and my own life for a year, knowing that I had you and your love for less than twenty-four hours! You left me." Her voice broke. "You left me without as much as a goodbye. Without telling me what you were up to. I can only assume it was some clever magic trick of yours. Don't you see, Albus? Had we merely been employer and employee, had we merely been friends, had I even still thought that my love was unrequited, I could have handled it. But we were not! I knew that you loved me. I thought that as long as I knew that, I could go on! And then you do this! Why, Albus? WHY!" Tears were streaming down her grazed and bruised face and she was very well aware that many people were following the scene. _'They don't even try to hide it,'_ she thought bitterly.

She was startled to see tears also leaking from Albus' eyes. His hand reached out hesitantly to caress her cheek as he had that fatal morning. No matter how much she wanted to lean into his touch, she stiffened.

"Will you believe me, when I say that I am beyond sorry for all the pain I have caused you?" he asked, his eyes filled with hurt and pain. His hand dropped from her face.

"Albus…" She took a deep breath. "I don't think you can fully grasp the amount of pain you've caused me. I don't know if I should be relieved that you are finally back, that you didn't leave me for good, to live my life without you or if I should curse you into oblivion for doing what you did to me and this, Albus Dumbledore, is not an empty threat!"

"Excuse me, Headmaster, Minerva," a voice interrupted before Albus had the chance to answer. They both turned to find Severus Snape facing them with a wand pointing to his throat. Behind him stood Harry Potter, holding his wand tightly, ready to hex Snape. "Potter seems convinced that I actually did try to kill you, Headmaster. Would you mind awfully setting his mind right?" Snape's voice was low and his tone was dry and ever so slightly sarcastic.

"Lower your wand, Harry. It seems I've some explaining to do. But first we need to see to the wounded and get the Death Eaters locked up safely somewhere."

Minerva spoke the password to the spiralling staircase that would lead them to her office. She heard Albus sigh behind her and turned around to face him.

"I am merely glad to be back, Minerva," was his answer to her still unspoken question. She smiled a small smile.

"We're glad to have you back, Albus," she replied. They entered her office but as Minerva sat down in her chair behind the desk, she noticed that Albus had stopped right inside the door.

"You know, Albus, you can come in."

"I… Nothing's changed." He looked around in disbelief.

"No," she smiled. "Nothing has been changed." Her smile faltered. "I couldn't bear to change anything. Please sit, Albus. I think we need to talk."

"I believe you're right, dear," he said, walking across the room. "But please, Minerva, can we move this talk to the living room? I do not desire to tell this story across a desk." His eyes were pleading and Minerva gave a curt nod. She wasn't quite sure what to feel. Happy that he was back? Or angry that he left her at all? Should she jump into his arms and kiss him as she had dreamed of so many nights this past year? Or should she simply tell him to leave her alone? Could she forgive him for what he had done so easily?

_TBC..._

A/N: I'm so sorry I haven't updated before now! Please forgive me. ;)


	5. Chapter 5

_So sorry about the wait... School has been Hell... it still is actually. But here's the last chapter! Enjoy!_

They sat down in each their chair in the living room and Minerva conjured a cup of tea and a cup of cocoa for them. For a while they were just looking at each other, neither saying a word.

"Minerva, that night," Albus finally began. "That night when we first… when I admitted my love for you, something about that whole plan changed. And yet, it couldn't. No one could know. No one did know but myself and Severus. I'm sorry, Minerva, for everything I have done, for all the pain you have felt, I am sorry for leaving you like that but I am afraid it was necessary."

"Necessary, Albus! Necessary to leave Harry, leave the school, leave the entire wizard community! To leave me?" she ended in a whisper. Her eyes filled with tears and she berated herself for not having more control of her own feelings.

"Minerva, please! Even now, I cannot tell you the reason but I beg you, I beg you, Minerva, from my heart, to understand that there was something that needed to be done!" Tears glittered in his eyes as well, as he spoke these words.

"Albus, the last time you couldn't tell me something, you died. Rather, you pretended to die, to get murdered! At least, tell me how you did it. Harry _saw_ Severus cast the Avada Kedavra."

"It was quite simple actually. I used an illusion and just as Severus cast the Avada Kedavra, he also cast a non-verbal Banishing Spell."

"A BANISHING SPELL! Severus 'banished' you from the top of the Astronomy Tower! Albus, that could have gone horribly wrong! I'm surprised you're still alive!"

"I know, my dear," he said with a small smile. "If you'll allow me to continue?" Minerva nodded. "You see, half way down, I created an illusion, a duplicate, so to speak, of myself, which would land on the ground beneath me. I simply lifted the Anti-Apparition Jinx for a short while and Disapparated."

"You… Disapparated," Minerva stated, dumb-struck.

"You know, being in control of the Anti-Apparition is, shall we say a perk for the Heads of this school, as you've surely noticed."

"Well, yes. That… that evening, I cast an Anti-Apparition Jinx on the castle, not quite sure why but it just felt right."

"I am a skilled Legilimens," he chuckled. "I hoped you'd catch my message."

"And I did," Minerva smiled.

"You know, Minerva, I had, truth be told, nearly given up any hope last year. People have always said that I have fought the dark forces untiringly but I admit, at that point I… I hadn't much left to fight for. Oh sure, the wizard world and my students but you gave me another reason. You gave me a cause to fight for. I never thought I'd have your love, Minerva and when I realised that I, indeed, did have it…" He could find no words for what he felt and looked at Minerva helplessly.

"I understand, Albus. But I also need you to understand what you did to me. Do you have any idea how I felt when I was told that Severus, of all people, had killed you? We always thought you had a good reason for trusting him and… Oh, Albus, do you have any idea what's been going on here!"

"No. No idea whatsoever. The _Daily Prophet_ doesn't write about daily life at Hogwarts or in the Order, I'm afraid."

Minerva chuckled slightly at his response.

"Well, for starters, on the night you 'died' Bill Weasley was bitten by Fenrir Greyback." As Minerva said this, Albus jumped up from his chair.

"He what!"

"Oh, no, you're misunderstanding me. Greyback was not transformed at the time. No one really knew what was going to happen to poor Bill. And Remus finally got over his troubles concerning Nymphadora. I believe they are to be married."

Both of them noticed but neither of them commented on how easily they seemed to have slipped back into their old rhythm. Minerva told Albus everything that had happened the past year, told of Bill Weasley's marriage to Fleur Delacour, of Fred and George Weasley's still more successful shop, of Kingsley Shacklebolt who had gotten injured and had fallen in love with a petite medi-witch from St. Mungo's, of Harry's search for something he had continuously refused to tell her what was. At this, Albus held up a hand.

"Yes?"

"My dear, Harry has been searching for Horcruxes. That's why he could defeat Voldemort; he had already destroyed six sevenths of his soul. To use a syllogism: All men are mortal, Voldemort is a man, however evil he might have been, and therefore Voldemort is necessarily mortal."

Hours passed and finally Minerva said that she would retire for the evening. As they stood, she grabbed Albus' arm.

"Albus, I'd like you to know, that I forgive you. I know you may not need my forgiveness but you have it. And I will work on forgetting it."

"Minerva, I do need your forgiveness," he replied. Then he asked hesitantly, "Are… are you still mine to love?" Minerva smiled softly.

"Always, Albus. Nothing can change that." She stepped into his embrace and savoured the warmth and the feeling of safety that she had missed so much. "I love you, Albus," she whispered as their lips met. And as they parted, "But you're sleeping on the sofa tonight." This brought a chuckle from Albus and she could feel it rumble in his chest.

Albus was just making himself comfortable on the couch, which he had made slightly bigger, when Minerva entered the living room again, wearing her tartan dressing gown. She sat down on the edge of the make-shift bed.

"Not so fast, Albus."

"I beg your pardon, my love?" Minerva registered the use of endearment and smiled.

"You're taking up all the space and though I was counting on snuggling close to you, I was hoping for a little more room."

Albus happily scooted over and Minerva took off her dressing gown before lying down next to him. His warmth and his scent were soothing and his arms were around her, holding her close to him. Her last words before falling asleep were: "Tomorrow is a new day."

THE END

_Thanks so much for your patience and all of your great reviews!_


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